Dark Mystery
by Cantadora
Summary: A series of missfortunate events brings two lifemates to finally find each other... but what if she and her mother are one of the biggest mysteries of the Carpathian world?
1. Chapter 1

It was November, the winter was just at her start, but the cold bit at my skin like thousand needles, numbness spreading through my fingers.

It was the worst day of my life! Seriously, the world had suddenly turned against me. I had a horrible day, I was pissed off and not to mention that my mother's car broke down, today of all days, meaning I had to walk home on foot. Yesterday was warm and sunny and now I could barely walk through the snow. It was over my knees and continued to rain. Most of the transport was down anyway and I had to walk at least two hours to reach home, when I don't forget to mention that I did take a bus that managed to drive me half of the way. I was on a crossroad but I was so cold that most sane thoughts in my mind had perished. I took into the woods on a small path knowing it would make the trip a little shorter. It was insanity, knowing the bad luck I had that day I would be eaten by a wolf, chewed by a dragon and spat (because of the bad taste I wished to have) then thrown into some wild storm and then dumped into the river. Perfect, don't you think? I put one foot infront of the other, again and again. My teeth were chattering, my hands and toes as numb as they could get. The sun had set, making the weather even colder.

Time passed and I had one hour, only another one hour I had to survive in that heaven hole (If you try my logic and know that hell in burning hot, doesn't that make heaven ice cold?) and then crumble down at the warmth of my so loving home.

I was day dreaming of something warm when I stumbled over something, I don't remember even seeing what, and I tripped and rolled over, falling down a sharp hill. I rolled on a ball, hopping it would heighten my chances for surviving. I managed to let out a choked scream when I rolled another time then something wet and even colder surrounded me, cutting out my breathing, the flow of the water driving me deeper in the river.

I was so cold, I could barely move, but I fought, fought to reach the surface and take a lifesaving breath, but that never came and the world painfully slow turned black.

A strangled scream awakened me from the sleep of my kind. The sound was so desperate, so urgent, so strong, even if it was far away, it rang in my mind so strong the it caused me strange dizziness.

I surfaced, knowing that the sun had set. The pale twilight had taken over the sky, where the sun had fallen over the horizon there was the quickly fading color of yellow with orange… I froze, my muscles tensing.

I looked around; it was so confusing, so strange, filled with thousand different colors, names of which I had forgotten over the centuries. But one was for sure, somewhere my lifemate was fighting for her life, I had no other choice but to give her my aid.

I moved as fast and I could, knowing she was out there, needing me.

I reached for her mind, feeling her fear, the biting cold. I needed to see where she was but I could only see black void. She was fighting, fighting with iron will and stubbornness not so many possessed. She wanted to live, but there were thousands of miles of woods and I still didn't know where she was. _Tell me your location, where are you?_ I send her the message, but it frightened her even more. She was trying to block me out, imagining thick walls, but I was already inside her mind, there wasn't a spell on this planet that could get me out of her beautiful mind. _Do not be scared, I cannot hurt you_. I said it with the softest voice I could master, low, trusting, a strong compulsion. _I only wish to help._ I send her my warmth, breathed for her so she may live. A image slipped out of her mind before she could stop it. Her own fear was beating at her, gripping her with sharp talons and she was slowly losing consciousness. I saw the image of painfully cold water and I ran for it.

I shape shifted in a small fast bird, taking at the sky. I scanned for danger constantly, seeing the river up ahead. I kept breathing for her, but it felt like the whole warmth and oxygen wouldn't be enough to help her. Emotions swirled in my mind, eating at me, fear, anger, rage. My beast was angry, how could it not be able to safe his own lifemate, it would kill everything that stood on his way! I traced her mental presence, but it was starting to fade, she was slowly dying. I moved up ahead on top of the river, flying low, seeking, searching. I shape shifted back to human form jumping in the water, wrapping my arms around the fragile numb body. I kept her heart beating, a slow rhythm that matched the one of my heart. I put her gently on the shore. I let my soul drift away from my body, putting safeguard to protect us both, while my mind enter her body, the healing power working it's magic. She had all kind of wounds, a cracked skull, broken ribs, sprained ankle, bruises and scratches. I healed the broken ribs, helping her body breathe on its own without the constant pain. I returned to my body, emotions beating at me hard as I dared to look at her face.

The earth seemed to move under me, the world was spinning, my focus was only on those beautiful features. Her skin was pale, but colour was returning to her full lips. Her nose was small and gentle, her cheekbones round, her face oval. She was the most perfect thing in my world; it was like she was carved by a mater wizard, meant to be the most beautiful creature, ever created. I gathered her in my arms, shape shifting and taking in the air. A storm was raging, sustained with my own wild emotions. My hunger was beating at me, but holding her small fragile body, some strange possessiveness was taking place, along with strong lust, I could barely tame the battles in my own my mind.

I woke up from the warmth, maybe I had finally reached home and I was in front of the fireplace. I forced my mind to work, because I knew I was missing something. That's right, I never reached home, I remember tripping over something, than falling. I cuddled closer to the warmth, suddenly feeling, or rather remembering biting cold. Whatever I was lying on was strangely shaped. I let my eyes stir open and I jumped realizing it wasn't a something, but someone. I tried to move away, but a hand around my waist pinned me down helplessly. I heard a deep velvet male voice whisper something suiting in my ear and I drifted to sleep yet again.

This time when I woke I knew what was happening, I mean I was remembering and I knew about the male laying under me, the one I used as a pillow, but as to where I was I had no idea.

His hand was yet again pinning me down, but there was no warmth coming out of him. I crawled my way up, so I could raise and look at him. I fought back a scream as his hand fell away from my shoulder, falling numb on the bed. He looked dead, literally. There was no color on his skin, no movement of his chest. I searched for a pulse, but there was none. I searched for a wound or something, anything that could have killed him, but his body was painstakingly beautiful without a scratch.

That was it, necrophilia was the name of my sickness then, because even I knew that to notice a dead man as beautiful it's wrong. He was dead for fuck sake, how could I name him as gorgeous? But it was the truth. He had long hair, black as the night, with the waves of the sea and the glow of the moon. His cheekbones were sharp, his nose perfect, his mouth even more so. Panic began to take my mind away, I was laying over a dead man, he looked young, it wasn't natural causes that had killed him. Did I bring the wroth on those dangerous people on him? Was it my fault? What had happened while I was sleeping?

I began to choke, a feeling very familiar to me, but where was my backpack? I looked around but there were no traces of it. I concentrated on taking deep breaths, but I knew that only my inhalator could help. I cried out, the sound echoing in the big chamber. A strong arm wrapped around me and I screamed in terror, feeling the body move under me. I forced myself to look at him, whoever he was. I saw the rise and the fall of his chest, the flex of his ripped abdomen as he moved. I saw the pulse on his neck, strong and even. I put a hand on my throat, the panic not helping my asthma at all. My breathing was labored, and I closed my eyes, focusing my body trying to help my lungs work properly. It did help, but not entirely and a small amount of distraction would make me lose my focus, so I kept thoughts such as a man rising from the dead right next to me, out of my mind. Or at least I tried not to feel him moving into a sitting position, or to imagine the way the muscles on his chest would flex, or to think of him in any other way, male or not.

"How old are you?" He asked me, his lips brushing my earlobe playfully.

" Eighteen," Was my answer, but I was losing my concentration, where his lips had touched, my skin seemed to burn and throb. I cleared my throat. "Do you know where my backpack is?" I asked, there was nothing wrong with hope, wasn't it.

"I fear that it had fallen in the river," His voice was low, seductive, a whisper that made me skin crawl. "Tell me what is wrong." It was like that there was no way of saying no to this man, there was something in his voice, in the way he spoke. Leadership. Power. Darkness. They all colored his aura in a strange mix.

"I have asthma, and the panic from seeing you dead provoked it. Let me calm down a little and I will ask you about the fact that minutes ago you were dead." Ah, sarcasm, my best friend . I wanted him to explain, I always had a way to get the truth out of people. I took deep breaths, trying for control, but I could feel his breath on my neck, his lips brushing the skin over my pulse, his tongue flicking over my flesh. "You are distracting me!" I whispered, he was definitely not helping. My heartbeat sped up, my breathing got even worse. I tried to move away, but his hand was there, stopping me. His lips were on mine, his tongue teasing until I gave him the access he was seeking. The world seemed to move under me, colors danced under my closed eyelids, my body went in flames. I could feel him breathing for us both, mostly for me. I let my pulse match his, as he worked on my breathing. I could breathe more lightly. Strange warmth left me; I could only feel it when it was already gone. I sucked in a raged breath, but it had nothing to do with my asthma, and everything to do with the fact that an extremely hot guy had just kissed me. I moved away immediately, but his other hand caught the nape of my neck, moving me closer for another brainwashing kiss. His touch was like a drug, addictive and somehow I couldn't get enough. I wanted more, so much more. Getting bolder I kissed him back, making my own version of exploration of his lips, nipping and teasing, biting his lower lip.

He growled, a sound that vibrated through me, past me. I shuddered in response, feeling something wickedly low in me curl. I moved away. "Where am I?" I whispered not trusting my voice, distracting myself. It was a perfectly reasonable question, one I should have asked in the beginning. _In my home. Safe. Deep in the woods where nothing but me can touch you._ He talked in my mind, I swear, he did! My eyes widened in response then I growled. "Maybe it's your touch I'm afraid of, I don't think you can make me safe from yourself?" He growled. _You are out of harm's way, it's what matters most, I'm not going to hurt you_. His voice was husky, even in his mind, low with desire, a dangerous tease. "Nice of you to make that kind of correction, harm is not even on the list of my worries right now." _You should, youth is what clouds your mind._ Another nice thing of him to point out, well, I wasn't exactly 18, but let him think that. _I'm in your mind; I'm listening to your thoughts, how old are you?_ I rolled my eyes "I'm around sixty already, but I look a lot younger as you see. I never had the chance to go to human school so I took the opportunity, since my mother found a normal job." Which reminded me. I raised a finger in front of his face, silencing him as I mentally reached for my mother. The response was quick and urgent. _Anna, where are you? Are you somewhere safe, I can feel that you are not alone?_ I sighed; there was no point to bother to hide him from her. _Him? You met some stranger on the way home and shagged him? Are you so immature? Did I raise you like this?_ Now _that_ was my mother_. It's a really long story and no, I did not sleep with him, thank you very much. I have no idea where I am, he saved my life, I think, I know that I'm in the woods, somewhere. I cannot hear the river close, or feel any danger. I think I'm safe, for now_. I could feel her worry, she didn't believe me. _He has that cute scar of a dragon, does that tell you something?_ It was true; a beautiful dragon was carved on his skin, like a birth mark. _You are with a Dragonseeker? Now I feel better._

It wasn't any kind of irony, I swear! I felt her relax and sigh. _When I come back to you, you will have plenty of time to explain that to me!_ I had no idea what was a Dragonseeker but I had every intention of finding out, soon.I let the conversation drift away, as I felt his lips on mine, possessive invasion of my lips, one that I answered gladly. _Now that I have permission from your mother, I'm about to take full advantage of your weakened state and pleasure those cravings, your body seems to have._ He whispered in my mind, fully awakening the same cravings he was talking about. My whole body ached, needed to be touched, longed for his hands. I bit my lip, and he leaned closer, his tongue tracing it, before fully taking possession. I quickly pulled away feeling the faint touch of another mind before my mother reached me fully. _I don't want to interrupt, ok maybe I do, but I'm slightly curious why a Carpathian male is taking care of you? _I blinked not really knowing how to answer. "You can interfere anytime you want." It was my way of telling him to say something, and answer my mother. I knew he was hearing our conversation,he was like a small shadow in the back of my mind. Silence followed from both of us. _If you are aware of my kind then you will not like the answer_. He said only that, making my mother go silent, extremely hard thing to do, I was never able to make her shut up like that. _Hey I heard that!_ My beloved mother snapped up, making me grin evilly. _It's the curse isn't it? You are her lifemate?_ The words were spoken slowly, danger radiating from them. _It is not even close to a curse, she brought colors and emotions back in my life after so many centuries of existing in a world of only gray. She is the light of my darkness; she is the only person in the world that can stop me from turning to a creature even darker, dangerous to immortals and mortals alike. _Another silence followed, but he was telling the truth, whatever the truth was because I barely understood what they were talking about. _It's a curse to my daughter, Carpathian; you are a curse to Anna. You are going to steal her freedom, take hew away from me, claim her as yours, bind her to you. I know how it works, I know what it costs to break free, as far as I'm concerned you are the same as the creature you so badly hunt._ The words were harsh, spoken with such hatred it shocked me. _You have been badly treated, no lifemate would ever bind his other half against her will, no Carpathian would treat a woman with anything but respect. Whoever you escaped was no Carpathian, but the very thing I hunt. _I was starting to worry, I needed to know. My mother has never told me anything about who my father was. There was no way my biological father could be a vampire. _A Carpathian converted me, when I was barely alive, nearly killed by the one who claimed me. I believe the name of my savior was Darius. When I became one of your kind you were already growing in me, but the blood flowing in your veins had always been powerful and pure. You are nothing like your father, but not like Darius either. His blood is in your veins, not of the one who claimed me. _I cried out, at the sound of her words. muffling the scream with my fist. _How dare you, why did you never tell me? Why, mother, why? All those years I asked and you told me that he was just DEAD!!! _ I was screaming at her, I knew it. I could sense his hands around me as he murmured suiting words in my ear. I let out a choked cry, the tears dripping down my cheeks unstopped. _But he is dead, I killed him._

**I'm not sure a Dragonseeker, male one at, that should have red hair, I don't remember Dominic's hair. I know about the change of eye colour, something always between blue and green, but I never payed attention to the hair, so ... yeah. If any one of you that read this knows, please tell me.**_  
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	2. Chapter 2

_You have got to be kidding me! _I wanted to scream. It was a hilarious situation. He was some stranger, perfect or not, he was, and he was comforting me while I was breaking down. Well, it was pretty weird, I wasn't a crier but now my tears just couldn't stop. I had reached a point where I had no idea what I was crying about anymore, and why I had started at first place. Funny that.

"Your reaction is expected, you were just told bad news and I don't mind." At the sound of that I laughed, it came out strange, but it was still a chuckle like every other.

"Well, I think you are totally out of your mind, you don't even know me and here I am crying on your shoulder."

"Yes and I don't know you, but here I am, comforting you while you cry, curled on my lap"

"I'm not on your …!" I started to exclaim, but then I realized that I was indeed curled in his lap while he soothed me, whispering foreign words in my ear. Well, my only excuse could be that it was far more comfortable that way, but even my mother wouldn't by that.

Then I kind of came to my senses and realized that It was a nice position only for me, because there was _no way_ in hell that the hard budge in his pants was anywhere near comfortable. Could I say "Oppss" to that or just smirk knowingly and stay silent?

I was a natural sadist, and an even more natural men-hater. He could suffer all he wanted. _Isn't that a bit harsh, __csitri__ ? _Busted, I was totally busted and of all things, I blushed. I wrinkled my nose, disgusted by my own reaction, I was a girl alright but I despised all the girlish crap that was supposed to come with my sex. I didn't blush! And that was the end of it. _You've seen nothing yet!_ Yeah, that was the smartest thing I could think of, noting the fact that his sheer presence, his warmth or even just the male his hard body represented was enough for my thoughts to falter and redirect themselves to other more wicked things, so I was doing fine, once you think about it.

Okay, I was screwed (Yes, I lived in the modern world enough to use such words) really I was, there was no question about that. I was in some cave, underground, with a hot horny male and wallowing in my own misery. If he was any smarter he might have taken advantage of the situation and by that time we would have been doing hot steamy sex, but I could bet my life that his honor was keeping him from acting on his obvious urges. You know, it was such a shame, I just couldn't stop myself from thinking what would he be able to do with that ripped body and that huge erection of his.

Okay, a small voice in my head was asking 'Who is horny now?' but I just ignored it. _What does horny mean exactly? _The question rang in my voice, curious and slightly wicked. I bit my lip and realized that he had been in my mind hearing my every thought and I had that ridiculous urge to blush again. I did dismiss it, but my wicked thoughts were supposed to stay only mine, it was for the sake of everybody on this planet, my mind was too sick to be heard from anybody but me.

"Do you really want to know?" I had to ask, the question 'Why the fuck don't you know the meaning?' was more like what I wanted to ask but I resisted. God only knew how old he was and from what I have heard from my mother, most Carpathians were even less modern then that guy. I was being lucky, so I decided not to push it.

"I'm curious of what you have been accusing me of." I actually believed him, it was simple as that. But how do you explain the word 'horny' to a very horny man. I shifted in his lap, intentionally brushing that throbbing erection of his and looking at him pointedly.

"That is horny, a guy that just needs to get laid." Maybe I shouldn't have added the last, but it was the truth, he was turned on because I was a female, it didn't really matter how I looked or …

"Never think that, never!

His fingers lifted my chin, forcing me to look in those green orbs that were currently in a shade of blue. I had no idea eyes could change like that, so fast, so much, I could lose myself in the pool those eyes were creating, every rational thought literally sipped out of my mind, just like that, with just a look. He had said something about never thinking of … I couldn't remember. All of sudden he smiled and the action brought dimples in his cheeks, not one or two, but a few, making his smile look bright and wide, even if it held that hint of dirty thoughts.

I licked my lips and I saw his attention shift on my mouth, that blue in his eyes was quickly replaced by a clear emerald green, eyes that shone in the darkness, eyes that fit that red hair of his perfectly. He gave me time as he leaned closer, time that I willingly used to kiss him first, to get as close to him as I could. And then we were kissing and the earth was shifting under us, a grate earthquake that shook me to my core.

Colors exploded behind my lids and he was kissing me harder, his tongue dancing with mine, a fight of dominance, one that nobody could actually win. And I was straddling him, still in his lap and there were only clothes separating us. Flames were licking at my skin; his hands were everywhere, leaving a trail of fire on their wake, making me crazy. I was burning and it felt like all the water in the world would never be enough to cool me, to relive that ache that was forming low in my body.

His hands finally found a place, cupping my hips, making things in me curl and twist, wanting so much more. It felt like we were in an unbelievable need of getting laid and honestly if he could make me feel like that with just a kiss, I was looking forward to the rest, but no, he had to pull back. I sighed.

"We are not doing this. Not when you think that you are just another .." I cut him off. He was far too handsome to be waiting like a monk for the right girl, so I was pretty sure I was just another one, but hey, I was willing to help him relieve that ache of his, as long as he helped me out with mine.

"I don't care, I don't mind."

"No, did you ever ask yourself what your mother meant by a lifemate? Do you know what it means?"

"Unfortunately, I do."

"Do you know to what extent it goes, how far it reaches, do you realize?

"I do." I said nodding.

"And you still think that you are just another one, another score? Do you doubt men so much?"

"I know what a lifemate is! I just know that I'm not yours. I bring back colors to most Carpathian, for a while, and to some extent, you just have it worse." I said shrugging. If you are wondering, I did believe that. I believed that my mother had been the same and she never had her real lifemate, that she was just wrong and that the claiming words had never worked, if she had managed to kill him (as she claimed), survive and escape with me.

"You really believe that, don't you?" He forced me to look at him again, trapping me with those magical eyes and it was like the green was moving, constantly, never stopping, never resting, in those irises, swirling and twisting, moving between the green and the blue, never quite managing to decide which one should take over, like two emotions fighting.

I swallowed hard.

"Yes. It's true."

"Tell me then, have you ever felt like this before, with another man?" I felt what it cost him to ask, a grate beast rising in him at the sheer idea.

"No, but doesn't that, I don't know, come with age? You are way older than those I have been with." Despite the jealousy ridding him hard he gave me a look that asked 'Where is the bloody logic in that?' I frowned, where was the logic in that indeed. "Isn't it like sleeping with a virgin and with some really experienced chick that does miracles under the sheets?" Now, that was my logic, it made perfect sense, and I knew that he was able to go inside my mind and body and help me feel all the pleasure I had been feeling. I could do it, why wouldn't he be able as well? He was silent for a while, deciding on what to do next and then he was speaking and it felt like the worrld turned upside down.

"I claim you as my lifemate." His voice was sensual, mesmerizing, powerful, a magic itself "I belong to you. I offer my life for you. I give to you my protection, my allegiance, my heart, my soul and my body. I take into my keeping the same that is yours. Your life, happiness and welfare will be cherished and placed above my own for all time. You are bound to me and always in my care" He took a deep breath and then words of foreign language rang in my head, and it was the same voice he used, only if felt more intimate. I could avtually feel the way our souls connected, the way bond, links and ties were created just to bring us together, to make us one.


End file.
